Morgan Stanley: Shadow inventory sheared 35% from peak
By Jon Prior, HousingWire, July 26, 2012

The shadow inventory of homes likely to be sold after foreclosure declined by 35% since the peak reached two years ago, according to Morgan Stanley researchers.

Stockton Lawmaker Wants to Fast Track Short Sales
By Joel Cone, Staff Writer, July 26, 2012

Whether or not he is doing it to score some political points with his constituents or with other lawmakers on Capitol Hill, Congressman Jerry McNerney, D-Stockton, at least has a plan to quicken the short sale process.

How Do I Determine a Foreclosure Home’s Fair Market Value?
By Daren Blomquist, RealtyTrac Vice President, July 17, 2012

In this post we’ll answer three questions posed by webinar attendees regarding how to determine fair market value of a foreclosure property.

Foreclosed homes: Now, they're hot properties
By Meredith Bennett-Smith, Christian Science Monitor, July 23, 2012

Earlier this month, David Welch, a veteran RE/MAX real estate agent, took a young couple to tour a house in the Orlando, Fla., area. The prospective homeowners liked the house and put down an offer, in cash, for nearly $8,000 over the asking price. "That would be an attractive offer for anybody," Mr. Welch recalls.

Love It or Hate It, Bill of Rights Is Now The Law
By Joel Cone, Staff Writer, July 19, 2012

It wasn’t that long ago that the economy was red hot, and the real estate market in California was even hotter. We were in the midst of the real estate bubble and my wife and I were looking at buying a house.

Are Interest-Free Mortgages Really Possible?
By Peter G. Miller, Guest Columnist, July 17, 2012

Interest rates have been reaching historic lows with dull regularity during the past few months. Freddie Mac says rates last week for 30-year financing hit 3.56 percent, the lowest on record.

Will the Wells Fargo settlement affect your mortgage?
By Linda Stern, Reuters, July 13, 2012

Wells Fargo & Co agreed to pay $175 million to resolve allegations by the U.S. Justice Department that it discriminated against qualified African-American and Hispanic borrowers in its mortgage lending.

Top 10 Foreclosure Beach Towns
By Joel Cone, Staff Writer, July 12, 2012

The general rule of thumb is: the closer you are to the water, the more expensive the real estate. Yet vacationers and retirees flock every year to their favorite beach location for a reprieve from sweltering summer heat.

Atlanta: ‘Super-Hot’ Rental Market
By Octavio Nuiry, Staff Writer, July 12, 2012

According to RealtyTrac’s June 2012 Foreclosure News Report, Atlanta’s housing market is in a painful retrenchment after decades of extraordinary growth.

AM Alert: Jerry Brown to sign foreclosure legislation
The Sacramento Bee, July 11, 2012

Gov. Jerry Brown heads to Los Angeles to sign the homeowner-rights mortgage legislation that lawmakers approved last week before going on summer recess.

What Happens At and After a Foreclosure Auction?
By Daren Blomquist, RealtyTrac Vice President, July 11, 2012

The foreclosure process is governed by state law, and all states require some form of foreclosure auction during the process. All states require a public advertisement or publication of the foreclosure auction prior to the actual auction event. This publication period is typically from one to three months, and the real estate auction itself is conducted in a public place, most often at or near the courthouse in the county where the property is located. Presumably such a publicly advertised and conducted auction prevents lenders from unilaterally repossessing a property securing a delinquent loan.

Hi, I’m Eminent Domain, and I’m Here to Help?
By Octavio Nuiry, Staff Writer, July 10, 2012

Twenty four years ago, President Ronald Reagan said that the 10 most terrifying words in the English language are: “Hi, I’m from the government and I’m here to help.”

Eminent domain as a foreclosure fix
Los Angeles Times Editorial, July 9, 2012

Property values have fallen so sharply in San Bernardino County that nearly half of the homeowners with mortgages owe more than their houses are worth. Hoping to aid at least some of those "underwater" borrowers, the county is considering a novel plan to use venture-capital dollars to buy and refinance their mortgages. The plan's authors say that homeowners would end up with less debt and the county and its financial backers would make a profit — all without the taxpayers spending a penny. The losers? Supporters say there would be none. We're not so sure.

How Do Homeowners Avoid Foreclosure?
By Daren Blomquist, RealtyTrac Vice President, July 9, 2012

Every month I have the pleasure of hosting a Foreclosure Buying 101 Webinar with RealtyTrac website demo for new and prospective RealtyTrac members. The most enlightening portion of the webinar for me is the Q&A at the end. We always get great questions from the attendees that keep me on my toes. And I’m sure that for almost every attendee who asks a question there are hundreds of other folks who have the same question, so I’m going to address some questions from recent webinars in a series of posts. The first question I’ll address was from a webinar on May 3, 2012: What options do homeowners have to avoid foreclosure after they start the foreclosure process?

Fallen ‘Angelo’ of the Real Estate World
By Joel Cone, Staff Writer, July 6, 2012

He was bigger than life…and he was an industry superstar.